Theatre Traditions: Kabuki

Initial Notes:

• Large stage 
• Might have element of humor as it is slightly exaggerated 
• Slightly less elegant in comparison to Noh Theatre and Buggku 
• Adopted and parodies Kyogen providing comedic interludes 
• String and percussion instruments in front of performers sitting crossed legged 
• Traditional looking background 
• Can guess and suggest that it will be a traditional story 
• Usually has elaborate sets (more complex)
• Revolving stages 
• Trap doors 
• Footbridge
• Live orchestra type music created by people sitting on their knees (uniformed)
• Originated in the Edo period 
• Historical events and moral conflict in affairs of the heart 
• Both men and women acted 
• But the tradition is men who specialize in women's roles (monotone voice and accompanied by traditional instruments which means it is mostly focused on movement) (Onnagata)
• Popular amongst townspeople 
• Developed for common man 
• Started from female dancers as she would perform parodies of buddhist prayers 
• Government thought it was too distracting
• Banned women performing 
• Young men would take over 
• Then again banned young men from performing 
• Ended up only being adult males taking over and performing 
• Making the headpieces take a long time 
• Merchants trading and the middle class would grew 
• Music is dominating the beginning before the dance-drama performance takes place 
• Might be narrating a prologue but we can't understand 
• There were certain respective responses from the audience 
• 4 characters appear 
• Distinct and elaborate 
• Each has specific costume and prop item 
• Specific way of moving and expressing themselves 
• Holding characteristic pose (Mie) 
• Special makeup makes the art form easily recognizable 
• Ran from morning to evening 
• Constant coming and going 
• Even meal was served to the viewers during lunchtime 
• Programs incorporated themes and customs that reflected the four seasons or inserted martial derived from contemporary events. 
• Has the purpose and convention of moral sentiments 
• Unlike other traditions (religious and teaching historical events) 
• Through these there can be tragedy or comedy when necessary 
• Usually episodic (short scenes that build up to climax/resolutions)
• Most popular and regular performances take place in National Theatre in Tokyo and take place for 4 hours 
• Performers get extensive training 

Some Costumes: 

Female Movement Patterns (Geisha):

Take up as little space as possible. Remember played by men, suggesting femininity

Stance:

Push buttocks under. Lower hips.

Keep knees together. Pigeon-toed.

Elbows in, close to body.

Hands, fingers together, thumbs tucked in. Hands often hidden in kimono sleeves.

Movement is all towards the center.

Walk:

One-foot back. Weight on back foot.

Bring foot around. Walk in straight line.

(Comic effect to take feet out in a wider walk with feet together)

Right foot forward, right shoulder dips, head tips slightly to right.

Don’t go up and down (used for comic effect)

Torso doesn’t move. Hips don’t swing. Flows.

Chin and chest move in soft, delicate way.

All of this is done to exaggerate the femininity of the characters as they are played by men. The concise and precise movement is due to the fact that women are seen to be smaller and more fragile and all sexuality is stripped away. The hands are tightly close together with elbows in however it is usually covered by the kimono to further conceal the fact that men are actually playing the character.

Sit:

One leg goes back. Lower one knee to ground. Lower other knee, sweeping kimono under leg, sit back, hands on thighs.

Young women hands at top of thighs, older the character the lower the hands on the thighs. (Kabuki derived from reality) Standing is a reversal of sitting.

Keep hands and knees together.
This is done to seem smaller and weeping is usually done while sitting to look more vulnerable to the audience. 

 

Weep:

Into sleeve. Hides face. Little sound.

Laugh:

Impolite for women to show their teeth. Holds hands in front of mouth. Hands horizontal to mouth, index finger outstretched.

Bow:

Hands come forward. Fingers together. Look ahead.

Lower back but keep head and back in alignment.

Rise and look forward again. Keep knees together and elbows in.

Male Movement Patterns (Samurai):

Strongest of the male characters. Takes up as much physical space as possible.

Stance:

Tuck in chin, Eyes straight ahead or slightly. Very rarely looks down.

Heels together, feet pointed out.

Knees apart and open.

Buttocks raised and pushed together. Lower hips.

Back slightly arched.]

Chest out. Torso slightly forward. Elbows out. Fingers spread or fists

Walk:

Assume basic stance. Knees open. Right foot forward left hand forward.

Knees raise up. Whole foot to floor.

Hands come up and over shoulders.

Slight swagger.

Fists.

Don’t point feet (animal character point feet)

Walk in straight line. Feet do not go out to side.

Not always such a big walk, make swagger smaller in merchant figures.

Sit:

One leg goes back. Lower knee to ground.

Lower other knee, sweeping kimono under leg

Sit back, hands on thighs.

Young man hand sat top of thighs, older the character the lower the hands on the thighs (Kabuki derived from reality)

Standing is a reversal of sitting.

Bow:

Hands come forward. Fingers together. Look ahead. Lower back but keep head and back in alignment. Rise and look forward again.

Laugh:

Ha ha (from low to high)

Hee, hee (from high to low)

A ha, ha, ha, ha, ha

Weep:

Tries not to weep. Head back to hold back tears. May wipe tear from cheek.

Musical Instruments:

• Drums
• Dramatic 
• Physical energy and sheet excitement is performed 
• Foreign audiences mainly enjoy more than Japanese audiences
• Stringed Instruments 
• Plucked using picks on the thumb and first two fingers 
• Used in ensemble in gagaku or a solo instrument 
• Heavily influenced by western music 
• Flutes
• More progressive during Meji Period 
• Imported from China for gagku 
• Often incorporated into their repertoire 

Useful sites:

Informative video on a traditional Kabuki performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67-bgSFJiKc

Example of a performance (not traditional however still has same conventions) (performance space is possibly an auditorium of a school): 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9QHX0LTL0w

Generalized information websites about Kabuki (history, conventions and etc included):

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2090.html

https://www.britannica.com/art/Kabuki

The art behind Kabuki (costume):

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/evelyne-politanoff/the-art-of-japanese-kabuki_b_1401040.html

The art behind Kabuki (music):

https://www.japan-zone.com/culture/instrument.shtml

From the book of 

The Japanese Theatre by Benito Ortolani 

Chapter VII Kabuki

Pages 162-207

• Kabuki and joruri are the typical theatrical expressions of the Tokugawa culture as it developed in the urban milieu, where the merchants played the main role in their fluctuating and ambiguous position of energetic economic leadership in the face of socio-political oppression. 
• The large theatres supplied the townspeople with the only places for regular gathering where "their" world could be collectively celebrated- a showplace for their economic success, their licentious fantasies, and daring fashions, as well as for their masked aspirations for social recognition
• Kabuki and joruri kept alive a memory and nostalgia for a past that was rapidly disappearing and dissolving into a new westernized society. 
• Kabuki was born as an explosion of lust for life and extravagance celebrating the end of over  a century of political chaos, interminable civil war among ever-changing alliances of feudal lords, ever-recurring devastations, reprisals and death, under an all-pervading feeling of fear, instability and insecurity. 
• Many kabuki and joruri plays present the distress of samurai fallen in disgrace and living among merchants, often concealing their true identity. 
• In the official hierarchy of the Tokugawa society the peasants were ranked after the samurai, a tribute to their economic importance in an agricultural society. 
• The Tokugawa peace favored an enormous increase in trade and development of cities that ranged among the world's most populous of the time. 
• Both no and kabuki are unique and genuine expressions of the Japanese spirit and culture, They mirror, however, taste and ideals of different social classes, in profoundly different environments and epochs. 
• The actors were called kawaramono (people of the riverbed)
• They were submitted to humiliating restrictions of movement and places where they were allowed to live, people they could mix and etc. 
• The importance of the basic scheme of folk ritual for kabuki continues in a number of later plays during the Genroku period
• To understand kabuki's idiosyncratic components, supernatural and shamanism should not be forgotten.
• The history of kabuki is usually divided into five major periods. 
• Period of the Origins
• Although the first documented mention of kabuki dance appears in 1603, it is clear that the dance had been around since at least the last years of the sixteenth century. 
• The dance was to propagate the use of this nembutsu prayer (homage to Amida Buddha) which became popular in the sixteenths century with all sorts of embellishments. 
• The great success of this first form of kabuki attracted groups of prostitutes to advertise their services. 
• Decrees against them were issued around 1608 and during 1629 the prohibition against the courtesans appeared and women could no longer perform. This left the field free only for troupes of young boys. 
• However, shortly after this during 1652, young boys were also deprived from performing as they had considerably enticing sex-appeal. 
• Genroku Kabuki
• Better known as the Golden age, this only covered 16 years of kabuki. 
• Extending the 1740s, the great fame diffused into the arts, literature and theatre. 
• This is where the day-long performances became harder to perform. 
• Beginning from this time, most kabuki plays present a multi-part structure in which a part does not correspond to an "act" or "scene" of a western play, but is built as a complete drama itself and is usually performed independently from the rest of the play. 
• The present distinction bet of ween "historical plays" and "domestic plays" began 
• The unfortunate death in Edo deprived the two kabuki capitals of their greatest performers pushing the performance style the competitive puppetry.  
• Golden Age Kabuki in Edo
• The revitalization of kabuki drama through the adaptation of joruri masterpieces opened the way to complete victory over puppets. 
• During this time Edo reached a high point of cultural activity in which the samurai began to participate in the development of kabuki 
• The Decadence to the End of the Edo Period
• The new changing political stability created economic crisis which lead to a series of prohibitions of every kind of luxury for people outside the samurai class
• The Tempo reforms of 1841-1843 were an attempt to rediscover austerity of the old feudal regime and intend to abolish kabuki (which was never carried out but did remove the 3 kabuki theatres where they were rebuilt with minor variations)
• Kabuki from the Meiji Period to the Present 
• Edo culture was rapidly giving way to a frantic process of modernization which tried to introduce western ways in all fields (including those affecting both the appearances of the stage and actors, clothing, furnishing, hairstyles and makeup)
• The history of kabuki's survival to the present day shows fascinating aspects of nostalgia for a romantic world of fantasy that had nourished the city population for over three centuries, a strong iemoto-like show-business organization, and a treasure of theatrical traditions made out of ever-appealing dramatic masterpieces, spectacular scenery, sophisticated choreography, and very high levels of dancing, acting and acrobatic skills. 

Kabuki in Performance:
By having a man play a women, everything else becomes much more symbolic. Kabuki is theatre for everyone and that the audience “wants a more gorgeous version of life” on stage. Movement was very controlled and precise and seemed to lead the music. Many moves can be interpreted differently for example when one actor entered the stage with his face covered and lifted his veil, his facial expression was very controlled to show gloom or being exposed, due to his head being slightly bowed down and his lips not moving. however, it could also be interpreted as seeming humble and serving instead of vulnerable. 

There are three things the kabuki actor must bring to the performance of a play; voice, movement and physical attractiveness. The vocal difficulties are caused by the "continuous pattern" used in speeches building up to an explosive climax in the aragoto style which requires an extraordinary breath-control. 
From the very beginning, dance has been an essential factor in kabuki. Kabuki's stylized movement can be constructed as sequences of kata which move from one statuesque position to the next with grace and suddenly freezes in a uniquely recognizable and expressive pose called mie. Kata are learnt through observation and imitation of the masters, and sometimes described in writing. 
The mei all serve the same purpose of highlighting the finale of a sequence of movements. 
Kabuki reflected reality through a generous use of stylized martial arts techniques. Spectacular stage combats and complexly choreographed fighting scenes are an important part of almost all kabuki roles. Most of kabuki dance is accompanied by shamisen music. 
The techniques of stage entrances and exits make use of special dance steps to meet the audience's high expectations at first appearance. The history of kabuki dance is strictly intertwined with the history of kabuki itself and each epoch left its mark on today's movement. As mentioned before, the reason why it seems like the movement leads the music is because the musicians are usually inside the geza, a bamboo-screened room located on the stage right, from which they can see what happens on stage without being seen by audience. Their task is not to only accompany the movement but also when required, to sing or produce sound effects such as rain and wind. 
The introduction of the onnagata and of the refined stylization favored the costumes to stop being free and become much more concealed and constricted. Personal attractiveness besides the voice and movement were established and the emphasis on beauty was placed as a mean to conceal the body and the sex of the onnagata. 
The costume and make-up is carefully planned to give relief to the actors' movements and facial expression, and to help orchestrate subtle or magnificent choreographic effects. The colors are in general bold, rich and used without fear of contrast that often goes beyond the conventional taste. Stage assistants are important roles who are dressed in black to express non-existence on stage and they are in charge of the quick onstage costume changes that symbolize deep interior transformation to the character or to provide visual beauty and variety. 
Many traditional stages of kabuki had colorful backdrops of paintings of temples and shrines. The need for a larger acting space became a process that eventually lead to a broad and spacious stage which filled the entire width of the theatre building. The seats that were considered the best were made of spread straw mats and placed on the ground in the doma in front of the main stage. Later chairs were introduced to fit a more westernized style, however those who prefered to sit in traditional style were allowed to. A narrow bridge-like passageway to the stage for the purpose of presenting gifts to the actors was introduced and the Hanamichi to this day remains and is used to suggest setting by being layered with cloth (for demonstrating water). The hanamichi became central to kabuki and enhanced the mie that were performed at the end of the hanamichi to symbolize an exit as the main curtain would be drawn across the stage. At this time, there are also various revolvers built under the stage for an affect of sophisticated platforms. 

In general, the use of properties is highly extensive and all are combined to tell a long history of the evolution of kabuki.